Printable chart
Septic tank size chart — by state
Minimum tank size by bedroom count, from each state's own rule. This is the chart to print: unlike the single national table most sites copy around, every row below is a different state's actual requirement — which is why the rows don't match each other.
3-bedroom minimums, compared
The full chart (gallons)
| State | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed | 6 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas — sized from wastewater flow (range: with / without water-saving devices) | 750 | 750 | 750–1,000 | 1,000–1,250 | 1,250 | 1,250–1,500 |
| Florida — by bedrooms × living area | 900–1,350 | 900–1,350 | 900–1,350 | 1,050–1,200 | 1,200 | 1,350 |
| North Carolina | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,250 | 1,500 |
| Ohio | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,500 |
| New York | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,250 | 1,500 | 1,750 |
| Pennsylvania | 900 | 900 | 900 | 1,250 | 1,400 | 1,550 |
| Virginia | 750 | 750 | 900 | 1,200 | 1,500 | by formula |
| Georgia | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,250 | 1,500 |
| Missouri | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,250 | 1,500 | by formula |
| Michigan — set by county* | 750 | 750 | 1,000 | 1,250 | 1,500* | 1,750* |
*Michigan sets sizes county by county; the row shows one real district's table (Central Michigan District Health Department, six counties) including its "+250 gal per extra bedroom" rule — your county's numbers will differ. Florida rows show the range across its living-area bands; the Florida page has the full two-way table. Missouri 6-bedroom and Pennsylvania rows are worked from each code's formula. Every figure: state rule citation on the state page, checked Nov 10, 2026.
Read your state's row properly
A chart row is the state floor for a standard home. Three things can push your real requirement up: a garbage disposal (each state treats it differently — the calculator applies your state's own rule), a county rule stricter than the state's, and a large living area in Florida. When in doubt, the state page for your state shows the rule text summary and links the official source.
Chart questions
How many bedrooms will a 1,000-gallon septic tank support?
In most of our checked states, three: Florida (smaller homes), Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, New York and the example Michigan county district all land a 3-bedroom home at 1,000 gallons or under. Ohio is the exception in our first ten — its 1,000-gallon row only covers 1–2 bedrooms.
What is the standard septic tank size for a 3-bedroom house?
There is no single national standard — that is the point of this chart. Across the ten states we have checked from official sources, the 3-bedroom minimum runs from 900 gallons (Virginia; Florida homes up to 2,250 sq ft) to 1,500 gallons (Ohio). 1,000 gallons is the most common answer, not a universal one.
Why does the same house need different tanks in different states?
Because each state picked different math: design flow (Texas), bedrooms plus living area (Florida), a flow formula (Pennsylvania), county codes (Michigan). The geology differs too — states protect their water tables differently.